"Hawai'i has been on my mind as of late. A friend came back and is very upset about the Super Ferry. She's not one to get pissed off about much, but big boats carrying loads of people and cars will pretty much do it for her. Also, I've been getting Kau Inoa mailers as of late. I know about the Hawaiian Independence movement from my family, but decided to poke around the internet to see why the Office of Hawaiian Affairs was sending me t-shirts and inviting me to free concerts."
Read the rest here:
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Monday, February 18, 2008
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4 comments:
I havent researched the land issue on the islands but I read somewhere (cant recall) that most all of the land on the islands is owned by the State Of Hawaii, and is leased to the Hawaiians. My family and I go there frequently. There is no other place on earth I would rather be than there.
The super ferry has met every law and enviornmental study and etc...
to provide this service. Im sure there are some that are opposed to the ferry, I beleive it is needed.
Alot of the native population is very very poor, poverty you wont see in the worst areas in socal. The only reason I support the super ferry is maybe it will help the locals find more creative ways to earn a living for there family.
MR.OC
Their concerns are real. There has never been an EIS, and that's what they were objecting to. This has been a project that was literally done with guarantees (this is from Super Ferry Impact, which if you bother to read my entire article, you'll find the link):
"In addition, Hawaii Superferry received a $140 million loan guarantee from the US Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD), which should have automatically triggered an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Act of 1969, while State taxpayers are funding an additional $40 million in harbor improvements in support of the Superferry operations, which also should have triggered an EIS under the Hawaii Revised Statutes".
So the question has to be answered: how will this impact on the land and the sea? And why (like all other developments) was an EIS never demanded of this large business?
As for poverty, you're correct. However, a rise from poverty doesn't necessarily ride on the crest of a Super Ferry. For most native Hawaiian's, more is at stake with land issues. Only 20% of lands are in the hands of Hawaiians. 72 landowners control 95% of the land. What many advocate in the succession from the union, is the return of all lands to the Hawaiian people. Some want a more agrarian way of life albeit with more education.
When I go back to see my family, I'm always very careful not to make any assumptions about what might be best for them. So I can't toss my hat in for the SuperFerry, when so many have bonded together to ask valid questions and are so staunchly against it.
Kanani I was simply trying to say that hopefully this could help improve the lives of so many of the poor. Most Americans have NO clue how truly poor these people are. There is a horrific drug problem also. What is worse a boat or plane? They both stink but with a ferry maybe they can help create more tourism jobs. Im not sure what the answer is but the Hawaiians dont need lip service from the politicians they need private companys creating jobs.
Your statement about MARAD is no surprise. Im sure some greedy politician had his wallet lined for doing so. But than again pretty much everything the US government does doesnt make since either. As far as the link I did refer to it but for whatever reason nothing came up, maybe there or my server was busy not sure.
The only info I have seen on this matter is what I see on TV and read in the two newspapers while Im there. Besides the obvious why would the state of Hawaii allow this they are so strict with enviornmental issues?
MR.OC
The SuperFerry was never about creating jobs, it was about letting a corporation bypass loads of environmental laws and requirements (that everyone else has had) and lining the pockets of their companies. Sure, there will be jobs, there will be people driving over to spend money. But I think the real issue they've brought forth is "when is enough, enough?"
Of course, the SuperFerry is just one more thing tossed at them, along with the scores of development, which have torn asunder the very thing that Hawaiians base their identity --land, but also sea, air... nature as a whole.
I think John Fisher has it right "In order fully to appreciate Hawaiian culture, one must first understand its basic difference from western culture and eastern culture. Western culture is based, in large part, on what a person possesses. Eastern culture is based more on the person and one's desire to learn more about oneself. Hawaiian culture, however, like most Polynesian cultures, is based on the land."
Awhile ago on my own blog, I interviewed author Frank Schaeffer. He said that consumerism had become the biggest form of individual expression in the U.S. This mindset is what Hawaiians are finding that threatens not only their environment, but their idea of happiness and spirituality.
There are more links on my blog. Go ahead and watch them. I think there's a lot we can do for them. I'm the one that kick started them off and gave them the $20 bucks.
Aloha Aina
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